At work I have a sticky note on my computer monitor that says, “You’re right on schedule.” I got this little mantra from a wonderful online course I took. It’s a friendly reminder that some things in life unfold at their own pace.
Recently I saw a post on Facebook that went something like this. “If you don’t like your life, only you can change it. Get started today.”
True statement. Yes, if you don’t like your life, you should start to make some changes today. However, I would contend that for most people, the changes will be micro-changes. Most people don’t wake up one morning, realize their life sucks, then waltz into their boss’ office later that afternoon, say “I QUIT!” and fling a pile of papers in their boss’ face before turning on their heel and skipping out of the office gleefully.
Nope. Not the way it generally happens.
It’s usually more like a snail-paced slog, with many starts and stops, your mind often filled with doubt, wondering if you’ll ever achieve your goals.
Yeah, that sounds more like real life.
We live in this world of connectedness, where everyone can post a well-curated version of their life on social media, blogs, or delivered to your inbox while you sleep. But not everything is what it seems. It takes time to create something out of nothing, whether it’s building a business, finding a new job, developing a different career, starting a relationship with someone special, or finding your tribe. These things don’t usually fall out of the sky or happen overnight.
Change takes time.
Besides, if you’re like most people, you probably have other obligations, like a job, bills, or a family. Plus most people also require a little thing called sleep. All of these things demand a certain amount of your time. You may not have much time left over.
So sure, start mapping out how you want your life to look, and certainly start making some micro-changes, maybe even as early as today, but cut yourself some slack. Acknowledge that just because some internet guru says you can or should do something, or because you saw a meme on Pinterest that says that you and Beyonce both have the same number of hours in a day, doesn’t mean that your life can or should unfold at the same pace as anyone else’s.
You are right on schedule, my dear.
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